Page 100 of Elemasters

Ying Zheng, the one and only Qin Shi Huangdi, spared one final glance at his floor map of China… before closing his eyes as the remainder of his body scattered in the wind.

Tears streamed down Dustin’s cheeks as the finality of the moment truly settled over him.

It was over. They’d actually won. They were finally free of this waking nightmare.

Ruanyu helped Dustin stand as the throne room began to quake around them. Cracks splintered through the floor and up the walls, as the very core of Ying Zheng’s being began to collapse.

“Let’s get you kids somewhere safe. You’ve been through a lot,”

Chapter 39

Move Along

After what felt like an eternity, the Palace of Radiant Clouds finally seemed normal again.

Or, at least as normal as it could, for a pocket dimension ghost palace.

As the complex shifted back onto the spiritual plane, the building slowly but surely began to repair itself. Dustin and the others gathered around the pentagram altar, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the stone mural on the far wall. The striking image of Qin Shi Huang standing against the original sages… that battle that began 2,000 years ago, finally over now thanks to their efforts.

It was gonna take a while before he fully wrapped his head around it all.

“So, Mr. Liu, what are you planning to do now? Go back to running your pawn shop?” Bailey asked, leaning against the altar, “we could drop in to chat from time to time,”

Ruanyu smiled warmly, patting the top of Bailey’s frazzled pink hair.

“As much as I’ve enjoyed living in Pacific Cove, and among humanity more generally, I think it’s time to return to heaven. Rather than spending more centuries avoiding the Jade Emperor’s ire, my time may be better spent gaining influence among his court. Maybe then he won’t be so hostile whenever mortals act in ways he can’t predict,”

“Promise you’ll at least pop in every now and then? We graduate in like six months and it would be a crime if our jade dragon honorary grandpa wasn’t there to cheer us on,” Chloe added, wincing and holding her abdomen as she giggled.

“I wouldn’t miss it for all the tea in China!” Ruanyu said with a cheeky wink, before waving fondly… and disappearing in a flash of green light.

“What the hell have our lives turned into?” Chris exhaustedly sighed, sitting down and resting against the wall, “shit’s so wild man,”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Dustin replied, joining his brother on the ground, “I’m still waiting to wake up in a hospital and for a doctor to tell me that this has all been a comatose dream or some shit,”

Mist rolled into the room, light and airy, swirling upwards and taking the familiar shape of Sima Yao.

“Your lives have become what they were always meant to be, Master Ying,” he said, smiling widely. The entire group rushed to surround him, only realizing that they couldn’t actually touch him after the fact.

“Oh, thank God, I thought you died!” James exhaled in relief, “don’t scare us like that again!”

“Master Zhang… I was killed thousands of years ago. I am not sure that it is possible for a ghost to die again,”

“Well let’s not find out!”

Sima looked around at the group, his face somewhere between sadness and contentment.

“Elemasters, I… I cannot find the words to adequately summarize my feelings. You have done what myself and the other Sages could not. Qin Shi Huang… Ying Zheng, has finally found peace, and the threat is ended. It is over, for now,”

“For now?! That motherfucker better not be coming back bro, I swear to God,” Chris groaned.

“I think you all have seen to it that he will not return. But if the centuries have taught me anything, it is that peace is not lasting. We may be fated to meet again in this place, I may be finally permitted to rest and enter the next life, born anew. Whatever awaits us, I wish you this; health, love, and perhaps above all, problems worth solving,”

“Thank you for everything Sima, we couldn’t have done any of it without you,” Dustin said, doing his best Qin era formal bow. Sima Yao grinned and returned the gesture.

“And I thank you, Dustin. For finally allowing this old ghost to fulfill his purpose,” Sima gestured to the arched doorway on the far side of the room, “take time in the Celestial Grotto. Rest, heal, and prepare to return to your lives. There are still many pieces yet to pick up,”

The warm waters of the Celestial Grotto felt like they were penetrating Dustin’s soul as he floated there on his back, finally allowing himself to relax a little bit. Everyone had abandoned their torn and blood stained clothes on the roots of the large tree overlooking the pool, and now they were just lounging around like they never wanted time to keep ticking forward.